Freedom from phobias with hypnotherapy

Are you afraid of enclosed spaces, injections or spiders? Then you are not alone. About 10% of us suffer from a phobic reaction to certain things, with agoraphobia, (fear of open spaces) and social phobia (fear of social occasions), among the most common. Whereas some phobias, such as a fear of snakes, are less serious in the sense that they have less impact on the freedom of the individual, (in the UK, at any rate) some phobias have a truly devastating effect on quality of life. People literally live in fear and lead a very restricted housebound existence. It is very difficult for loved ones to truly appreciate the level of fear an individual may experience, especially if the fear is triggered by something which seems normal and harmless.

A phobia is an anxiety-related disorder and often starts in childhood between the ages of six to 11 years. A specific event may trigger it. For example, one client experienced a stormy boat trip when she was six, saw other passengers being seasick, and went on to develop a fear of vomiting, (emetophobia) even though she was not taken ill herself. On the other hand, some people have no recollection of a traumatic incident and are adults before becoming aware that they have a problem.

A phobia can be very difficult to live with and curtail career opportunities, deprive individuals of essential medical treatment, cause friction in family life, lead to depression and feelings of hopelessness. Claude, a gifted photographer, battled severe anxiety during photographic shoots if they involved heights, (and they often did, as he specialised in wildlife photography). Richard was unable to have help for debilitating heart problems, due to his fear of needles and Anna-Lise's husband and children were deprived of a family holiday due to Anna-Lise's fear of travel.

If you do have a phobia, it is wise to take action rather than to 'grin and bear it' as it tends to get worse over time. Help is at hand, and hypnotherapy is an extremely effective and popular treatment for phobias. A phobia arises in the emotional, not the rational brain. The use of the resources of the unconscious mind, including the emotions, memories and the imagination, enables sufferers to become desensitised to their phobia and regain their freedom and a sense of self control. This is often achieved in only a few visits to a hypnotherapist.

Marian Barry is an Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist practising at the Harley St Hypnotherapy Clinic London, and Gt Abington, Cambridge. She has given talks at international conferences around the world and specialises in personal change and confidence building.